Apparatus for playing duplicate games of cards



(NO Model.)

G. L. GASTNBR. APPARATUS P0P PLAYING DUPLISATP GAMES oP CARDS No. 606,121.

Patented June 21 'ma Nonms mns co.. Puoaujrno.. wAsulNn-ron, v, c.-

UNTTnn STA-Tus PATnNT @TurcsQ GEORGE LEVIS CASTNER, OF BROVNSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING DUPLICATE. GAMES OF CARDS.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,121, dated J' une 241, 1898.

Application iiled July 29, 1896. Serial No. 600,896. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, GEORGE Lnws CAST- NER, of Brownsville, in the county of Haywood and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Playing Duplicate Games of Cards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an apparatus for playing duplicate games of cards, particularly duplicate whist, and the object of the invention is io provide a tray of convenient form provided with holders adapted to hold the several hands of the original play by themselves and in proper order for a duplicate play, the holders being so located as to effectually protect the cards, and holders being provided on both faces of the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide holders on the tray in which score-cards, index-cards, or other cards or slips adapted to bear various memoranda of the game may be retained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide-board for use in connection with the tray and so arranged that the proper position of the tray for original or for duplicate play may be assured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for expeditiously and conveniently applying the holders to the tray and also to provide index-cards of a peculiar type, which cards will greatly facilitate the progress of the game and in a great measure prevent misunderstandings and mistakes in the disposition of the trays.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the improved tray. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the guide-board, illustrating chips and counters thereon. A Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the tray, illustrating vone means of securing the holders in place. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating another means for retaining the holders in place on the tray, being especially adapted for use where the holders are not convenient to the margin of the tray;

,and Figs. 5 and Gare plan views of indexcards used in connection with the tray.

It may be advantageous to make a few statements with reference to the game of duplicate whist. Duplicate whist is a game of cards played by four persons, two of whom sit, respectively, at the north and the south sides of the table, being partners, the two otherr persons, which are also partners, being seated at the east and the West sides of the table, respectively. The essential difference between duplicate Whist and the well-known game of Whist is that in the latter the thirteen cards dealt to each hand are played'but once and after that the pack ot cards is shuflied and new hands are dealt to all the various players, whereas in duplicate Whist the thirteen cards originally dealt to each hand are kept intact to be played again one or more times at the same table or at other Atables should there be more than one table engaged in the playing of the same hands of cards. The cards are therefore dealt but once during the course of the game. In duplicate whist the cards are not thrown to the center of the table, each four cards being gathered up in the shape of tricks by the winning side, as in ordinary whist, but each player as he plays his card places it on the table immediiately in front of him face upward and separate from any other card, placing the next card he plays also face upward and immediately over the card he has previously played, so as to conceal the face of the latter from view, and so on to the conclusion of the play 0f the hand, when each of the four players will have all the cards of his hand in one pile before him, unmixed with any of the others. The object of keeping the cards thus intact y is to make comparisons in the merits of the actual play between partners and their opponents, the design being that on the second play of the cards the hands formerly played by the partners at the north .and the south sides ofthe table shall be' played by the partners at the east and west sides of the table, and vice versa, in order that the respective merits of the various players or their ability to make points from a given hand may be determined.

The boards or trays,togcther with the guide- IOO boards to be employed, constitute the main features of the invention, and are designed chieiy to facilitate the preservation of each hand of cards when once played and in subsequent plays of the same cards to indicate the proper position of the hands among the players in accordance with the design of the game.

It is found to be best to play duplicate whist with several packs of cards and several trays, dre. to correspond, the number depending upon the will of the players, the reason being as follows: After playing one set of hands it is desirable that other hands should be played before the play of that hand is repeatedin order that as far as possible the memory of the cards in that hand and the particular playing of them shall be lost and the new play be confined as nearly as possible to the same degree of skill in the second instance as governed in the first. If then, for example, a game of twenty hands to each player at one table is proposed, it will be best to provide for it ten trays A, twenty packs of cards, (one pack for the front or odd-numbered side of each tray and one pack for the reverse or even-numbered side of each tr`ay,) one guide-board B, twenty score-cards, or forty score-cards, if 'each side is to keep a separate score, thirteen chips or counters C for counting the tricks taken on the play of each set of four hands, and if such a check upon the score-card should be desired a lot of other chips or counters, from which on the conclusion of the play of each set of hands the winning side will draw as many chips as it has taken tricks packs of cards are usually all dealt out bein excess of its adversaries. The twenty fore the game begins, as this saves time. rlhe dealing is done as in ordinary whist, and it is a matter of choice whether the trumpcard is turned up or whether one suit is selected as the trump-suit for all the twenty deals, the latter being the usual method. A pack of cards having thus been dealt into four hands of thirteen cards each, the dealer selecting a tray and placing it before him' with, for example, the front or odd-numbered side up proceeds to place under the four holders provided thereon for the playing-cards the four hands he has dealt, one hand under each holder. The cards are placed inthe holders with their faces toward the tray, so

that when thus placed upon said tray the contents of the hands are entirely concealed from view. The odd-numbered side of the tray being thus completed, another pack of cards is dealt in the same way and placed in the same manner in the holders of the reverse or even-numbered side of the tray. The sc0re-card or strip of paper for each side of the tray is then provided and placed under the score band or holder and over the numbers on each side and in the center of the tray, concealing the said numbers, and the tray is then ready for play.

The tray A is made of any desiredmaterial and is given any approved form. Preferably, however, the tray is so shaped that it will have four wings, (designated, respectively, as a, a', a2, and The wings are equidistant apart and are located so that a wing will face each player when properly seated at the table upon which the tray is placed. The wings are all of the same size with the exception of the wing a2, which is preferably longer and narrower than the others, since the tray is to be connected with the guidesboard B by its narrower wing, for the purpose and in the manner to be hereinafter explained. y

Four preferably endless bands 10 are employed to form holders on both faces of the tray for the hands of cards 12 that are to be played, one of such hands being shown in position at the left of the tray in Fig. 1.

Each wing is preferably provided with a longitudinal slot 13 made in each side of the wing and extending to a point a predetermined distance from the center of the Wing, each longitudinal slot 13 communicating directly with atransverse slot 14, the latter being of a length corresponding to the width of the band 10 that is to be employed, and the entrance to each of the longitudinal slots is V-shaped, or practically so, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The longitudinal slots 13 `are of such width that the hands, which are preferably of rubber, must needs be stretched before they can be passed along the said longitudinal slots, and having been passed along the longitudinal slots `the bands enter the transverse slots 14 and extend longitudinally across the central portions of the wings at the top and at the bottom of the tray.

It will be observed that the holders or bands 10 are entirely within the margins of the tray and will not, therefore, be unduly chafed at their ends, and that each band or holder 10 is independent. When, however, it is necessary to place the bands or holders in the IOC IIC

body of the tray at points distant from the margin of said tray, the portion of the tray which is to receive the said band is treated as shown in Fig. 4, in which a large opening 15 is illustrated of sufficient size to enable a band to be readily passed through it in its double form, and at each end of the opening 15 a corresponding V-shapcd recess 1G is made, and each recess 16 is in communication with a longitudinal slot 17, and cach longitudinal slot 17 communicates directly with a shorter and wider slot 18, which is at an angle to the longitudinal slot 17. The bands in their double form are passed up through the openings 15, and then each strand of the band is drawn through the longitudinal slot 17 until it enters the connecting transverse slot 1S, whereupon the band 4will be firmly in position and will be stretched across the opening 15 at thetop and bottom of the tray, forming a holder on each of its faces.

Preferably three bands `or holders are em ployed upon a tray in addition to the hands or holders 1 0 for the hands of cards. 'lhese IZO auxiliary holders are located on the body of the tray and are designated, respectively, as 19, 20, and 21, the holder 19 being preferably placed at the center of the tray and the holdf ers 2O and 21 at each side of the central band or holder. The object of this number is to distinguish the hands of cards under the holders of the face of the tray on which it appears from any other set of hands on other trays. It is, in fact, the number of the set of hands. Therefore the numbers are different on the various trays; but these numbers also distinguish the obverse from the reverse face of the trays, odd numbers appearing on the obverse and even numbers on the reverse face.

A number22 is produced, preferably, upon the central portion of each face of the tray,

. n Y A i I the number on the obverse side being an odd number and the number on the opposite side an even number, and these numbers may be concealed by a score-card 23, which may be of any desired form or style, the score-card being placed face downward under the ceutral auxiliary holder 19. The holder 20 is adapted to hold an index-card D on the tray, and the holder 21 when employed may be used to hold upon the board a card or slip E,

lcontaining memoranda of the trump turned up or the trump that has been otherwise determined upon, and when this slip E is omit ted the index-card D' (shown in Fig. 6) may be used, in which a space is preserved for thev memoranda of the trump. T he chips or counters C may be of any desired form and material.

The smaller wing a2 is provided with an indicator 24 on both faces of its outer end,which indicator assists in determining' the wing of the tray that is to be brought in direct connection with the guide-board, and also determines the front from the reverse side of the tray. Any one of various devices may be used for this purpose-as, for example, labels may be employed of two different colors to be applied uniformly, one color to the front and the other color to the reverse side of the tray. The guide-board B is flat upon both its top and bottom surfaces and is adapted to receive the tray; but the guide-board is provided with two lugs 25 near one of its edges, and these lugs are placed at such a distance apart that they will receive snugly between them the wing a2 of the tray having the indicator applied, and the lugs 25 are equidistant from a central line drawn through the guide-board. The plain index-card shown in Fig. 5is provided with a panel 26, extending from top to bottom and from one side edge to els, and the column 2S is headed by the phrase Number oftable. The subdivided portion of the column 28 is headed by the Word Original, and the subdivided column 29 is headed by the word Duplicate, and above the words Duplicate and Original. a panel 30is formed bearing the following reading matter: Check here when played.

The modified form of the index-card D' shown in Fig. 6 is arranged the same as that shown in Fig. 5, except that the large panel 26 is reduced to provide for an additional panel 31, upon which panel the trump-card or trump decided upon is noted, and this panel is designated by the words Trump card.

Bearing in mind that the game of duplicate whist is designed as a test of skill, it is at once evident that to accomplish this test it is necessary that the hands that were played by the two partners in the original play shall fall to their two opponents in the duplicate play,- and vice versa. It now becomes evident that the object of the guide-board is to insure the proper placing of the trays before fthe players in both the original and the duplicate plays. It accomplishes this result in the following manner:

vBefore beginning the original play, it having been determined to assign to the player guide-board so as to rest level upon it, andas the tray can rest level only when the smaller wing CL2 is brought in between the guide-blocks this wing will be presented to the player at the north side, thehands of cards on the opposite wing a being presented to the player 011 the south side of the table, and sol on. The cards will then be in the proper position for play.

At the conclusion of the play of any set of hands each player gathers up the cards he has played and replaces them under the band or holder facing the player; but having completed the original play of the set of hands on the front side of the tray and having replaced the cards of the same as stated the tray is turned over, replaced upon the guideboard, and the set of hands on the reverse side is then used for play. The original play of this tray being completed, it is removed from the guide-board, and the play proceeds by placing another tray thereon and treating it in like manner. This completes the original play.

The cross-mark X shown in Fig. 1 is designed as an indicator to show which hand of the four on each side of the tray has the original lead. This mark is preferably placed on an arm and near enough to a band which holds the cards thereon so that when the latterare under the band or holder they will also cover and conceal thislead-indicator.

IIO

It is intended that each of the four players shall have at least approximately an equal number` of orignal leads, and hence it is designed that this indicator shall be distributed as nearly as possible an equal numberof times on each of the four arms or Wings of the various trays employed in a game.

Before beginning the duplicate play the guide-board is shifted a quarter of a circle, so that the index-blocks 25, which were previously in direction of and nearest to the north playeravill now be in direction of and nearest to the player at the east wing of the board, for example. It is evident that the shifting of the guide-board will give to the east player in the duplicate play all the hands or cards of the various trays as they are replaced upon the guide-board which the north player held during the original play, and thus the various hands will be distributed in a reverse order to the distribution in the original play. Vhen the guide-board is once placed in position for either the original or the duplicate play, it of course remains stationary until the conclusion of the play thus arranged for.

Fig. 5 :represents the face of the index-card intended for use, for example, with the `auxiliary band or holder 2O in cases Where there are players at a number of tables playing with the same trays of cards. It is usual in such cases for the players sitting on the north and south sides of the various tables as partners to be pitted against the players sitting on the east and west sides of the tables, and -in order to save considerable delay at some tables at the beginning of the play and to others at the closing of the same which a dif- Y ferent method Would occasion it is also usual to begin play at all the tables simultaneously,

each table beginning playon a different tray. The various tables having been designated by a number in regular order and being understood to form a circuit, then as the play of each tray is completed at one table it is passed on in regular order from that table to another until it has completed the circuit of all the tables. When all the trays comprising the irst set have thus completed the circuit, they are set aside and a new set is introduced and played in like manner until the play of all the trays has been completed. It sometimes happens, however, in the confusion or excitement of play and Where no indicator is used to show it that a doubt arises as to Whether a set of trays has thus completed the circuit, and this can be determined only under the usual method by reference to the score-card, a course which it is especially desirable to avoid. It is to meet this dilhculty and facilitate the game that the index-card shown in Fig. 5 is provided.

At the inception of the game, tables having been numbered in regular order and understood to be in the circuit, it being also arranged that the table from which the tray is passed to another table shall be understood as being next `below this other table in the the panel 26, attached to the corresponding side of the tray. lVhen the play of these hands is` completed and the hands are replaced upon said tray, the latter is then passedon to the next table in order, Where the same hands are again played and replaced 'on the tray and passed on in like manner to the next table in order, and so on until the circuit is completed. It is evident that this feature of the index-card makes it applicable to a circuit composed of any :number of tables; but to meet the views of that class of players who may desire to be more precise in stati ng accurately every detail the indezncard is provided withithree columns 27, 28, and 29, heretofore alluded to. The column 27 is provided to contain the numbers of the various tables, While the columns 2S and 29 are left blank. The blank squares opposite the numbers of any given table are left to be filled by the player at that table designated to do so with some convenient or agreed-upon check-mark to show when this is done that the play of the cards accompanied by this index-card has been completed at that round for that table. D uring the original play these check-marks will be placed in the column 2S, and when all the blank spaces in this column opposite the numbers of the various tables engaged in the game shall have been filled it will be evident that this round of the play of the given cards has been completed. The table-number is then erased from the blank space in the panel 26 and the tray is set aside until needed for the duplicate play, When it is brought forward again, the duplicate play of the hands being commenced at any of the tables, the number of that table being entered on the panel 26, and the column 29 is now employed to check `off the tables as they complete the duplicate play.

The index-card shown in Fig. G is the same as that shown in Fig. 5 except that it contains the panel 31,11 pon which the trump-card or the trump otherwise selected may be indicated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* l. In an apparatus for a duplicate game of cards, a tray having holders for the reception of the cards, an extension from the body of the tray, and a guide-board provided with index projections, arranged to receive between them the said projection from the tray, for the purpose of determining throughout the game a certain preferred position of the tray, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an apparatus for a duplicate game of cards, a tray having holders for the reception of the cards and an extension from the body of the tray, and a guide-board provided with IIO index projections to receive between them the said extension from the tray, for the purpose of determining throughout the game a certain preferred position of the tray, the said projection from the tray having indicators applied thereto, whereby it may be readily determined whether the reverse or the obverse side of the tray is uppermost, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A gaine apparatus having a guide-board provided with two index projections, and a tray capable of carrying cards and provided with a projection capable of extending between the index projections, substantially as described. p

4. A game apparatus havinga guide-board, and a tray, the tray being capable of being carried thereby, with a plurality of whisttrays, each adapted to rest upon'said guide and to engage with said board in one position of the tray relative thereto.

GEORGE LEWIS CASTNER. Witnesses:

W. S. LEA, MATT GRAOEY. 

